The History of Fuel Retailing

The first purpose-built, drive-up gas station opened in 1913. At the time, there were approximately 500,000 vehicles navigating almost exclusively dirt or gravel roads. Today, there are more than 296 million vehicles traveling on the nation’s 4.2 million miles of paved roadways, with approximately 40 million vehicles fueling up every day.

Here are some of the significant events and innovations that led to the creation of the industry and the shaping of it over the ensuing century.